User interaction with computers continues to increase each day. More jobs require individuals to interact with computers and more people are choosing to interact with computers for both work and entertainment. Initially, personal computing devices were cumbersome devices that included a computer processing unit and monitor. As technology evolved in the area of computing devices, laptop style computers developed allowing users to transport work with them in a smaller and more convenient manner. Yet still, some environments were not conducive to a laptop style computer. During a meeting or conference call, users often find it easier to take notations or highlights of the meeting on a steno pad or paper. Any information had to be inputted into a computing device at a later time.
The development of the computing device then led to the tablet style computing device. Early personal digital assistants (PDAs) allowed users to write onto a surface and an application program on the device would interpret the handwritten strokes as inputs to the device. Users could now write notes during a meeting and have the information directly inputted in a computing device. Users accustomed to a monitor or display and keyboard could not use the tablet style computing devices as easily as a traditional computing device. Further, users had to have two separate computing devices if they wanted to have the ability to make handwritten notes and to type information with an elevated monitor or display. The technology continued to evolve and users were eventually given the option of a hybrid or convertible type computing device.
A convertible type computing device allows a user to convert between a traditional computing device that includes an elevated monitor and keyboard and a tablet style computing device that allows a user to input annotations as if writing on a sheet or paper or pad of paper. FIG. 1 is an example of such a convertible computing device. Convertible computing device 100 includes a monitor 110 and a computer processing hardware 120. Monitor 110 is configured to display images based upon an application program operating on the computer processing hardware 120. As shown in FIG. 1, monitor 110 swivels along a collar connection 130. Collar connection 130 is physically connected to the monitor 110 along an exterior edge of the monitor 110 and is also physically connected to the computer processing base 120 along a corresponding exterior edge of the computer processing hardware 120. The collar connection 130 is configured to rotate in a manner that allows the monitor to be in an upright position, similar to a conventional laptop computing device, or in a level position resting overtop the keyboard of the computing portion 120, similar to a conventional tablet style computing device. All electrical connections between the monitor 110 and the computer processing hardware 120 are housed within the collar connection 130.
Conventional convertible/hybrid computing device 100 requires a complex torque mechanism for operation of the collar connection 130. The internal wires must be specially designed to handle the twisting of the connection point to allow for the swivel between the tablet style and the laptop style formations. In addition, connection point 130 must be able to hold the entire weight of the monitor 110 while in the upright or laptop style formation. Further, collar connection 130 can be damaged if too much force is applied while swiveling the monitor 110 around.